Top Travel Credit Cards: July 2017

There’s not much change on the list for July, but there are still some great deals for airline credit cards. The sign-up bonuses for all four Delta cards (highest offers ever!) are now available through July 26th so I recommend signing up for these soon. It’s also easy to get the Southwest Companion Pass at the moment since all three Southwest credit cards currently have 60,000 point offers. You also won’t want to miss the increased sign-up bonus on the IHG card from Chase. Check out the full list of top travel credit cards for July 2017.

$50 statement credit after making a Delta purchase in the first 4 months

$95 annual fee, waived first year

60,000 miles is a great offer for the Gold Delta card, which usually only offers a 30,000 mile sign-up bonus. It is also fairly simple to get the $50 statement credit; I paid $5.60 in fees on an award booking to trigger it. You may be able to get an offer with a $100 statement credit by dummy booking. For those looking to build up their SkyMiles account, now’s the time to do it. As a note, SkyMiles never expire but they can be devalued over time.

If you already got the personal card, you can sign up for the business version here. The offer is the same expect you have to spend $4,000 in the first 4 months. Both offers are good through July 26th.

70,000 miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $4,000 in the first 4 months

$100 statement credit after making a Delta purchase in the first 4 months

$195 annual fee

The Platinum Delta card from Amex comes with a $195 annual fee, but is a great option for those who are trying to earn elite status with the airline. The first level of Medallion Status is Silver which can be earned after 25,000 MQMs. With the Platinum card, you’re almost halfway there! If you get the business version, which is offering a similar sign-up bonus with a $5,000 spend, you’ll only be 5,000 MQMs short of Silver status.

Even if you aren’t after Platinum Status this card is a great pick for frequent flyers on Delta since the $100 statement credit can help offset the annual fee. This offer ends July 26th.

This is one of the highest bonuses for a Southwest card since they usually offer 40,000 or 50,000 points. If you’re going after the Companion Pass, the 60,000 point offer makes it even easier! You’ll need 110,000 points total to get the Companion Pass. Right now, you can also get a 60,000 point bonus after spending $3,000 with the business card.

Lucky us! All three Southwest cards have a 60,000 point sign-up bonus right now. If you want a slightly smaller annual fee, you can get the Plus card instead of Premier. If you are going after the Companion Pass, you will need to pick up either the personal or business version of the Premier card.

This sign-up bonus is 20,000 points higher than the usual offer. You may even have luck getting Chase to match the offer to 100,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first three months. This card is not under 5/24 so it’s worth getting if you don’t already have it. It’s also worth keeping since you get a free night on each card anniversary to be used at any IHG property worldwide. This value definitely exceeds the $49 annual fee.

This increased sign-up offer is perfect if you’re looking to earn some American Airlines miles. Keep in mind that you can only get the bonus if you haven’t opened or closed any American Airlines product (excluding business cards) from Citi in the past 24 months. This rule works separately for personal and business cards so you can open the business card even if you’ve recently received the bonus for a personal American Airlines card from Citi (and vice versa). You can also get the same bonus on the business card.

Companion Fare – Buy one ticket, get one for just taxes and fees (from $22)

$75 annual fee

The Alaska Airlines credit card has always offered a companion fare as part of the sign-up offer, but previously the companion ticket cost $99 plus taxes and fees. This was a decent deal before and now it’s even better since you can save an extra hundred dollars. It’s possible to get an additional $100 statement credit by dummy booking so I recommend giving that a shot rather than applying with the link above. This card is churnable so you can get the bonus again even if you’ve had it in the past!

50,000 bonus points worth $750 on travel after spending $4,500 in the first 90 days

$400 annual fee

U.S. Bank recently introduced an exciting new travel rewards card. But there’s a catch, you can only get the card if you’re a current U.S. Bank customer. While the card has a $400 annual fee, the $325 annual travel credit helps offset it. Other perks include 12 Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi passes per year, 4 Priority Pass lounge visits per year, and a $100 statement credit for Global Entry. You’ll also earn 3x points on travel purchases and mobile wallet spending. This offer will be around for a while so you can always become a U.S. Bank customer, wait a month, and then apply for the card.

While the sign-up bonus is smaller, Chase Sapphire Reserve is still one of the best cards around for its travel protection benefits. I still think it’s worth getting this card for the 50,000 point sign-up bonus and possibly keeping it since the annual fee is only $150 if you deduct the $300 travel credit.

This is currently Chase’s highest bonus on a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Points are worth 1.25x when redeemed on Chase’s portal. You can also transfer to Chase’s travel partners at a 1:1 ratio. You’ll earn 3x points on travel purchases and business-related expenses like shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, and social media/online advertising. Might as well pay some bills with this card!

50,000 miles when you make your first purchase in the first 90 days and pay the annual fee

$95 annual fee

It’s rare these days to see an offer with such a high bonus without a spending requirement. Even better, the sign-up bonus recently changed from 40,000 to 50,000 miles. You’re essentially “buying” miles for the cost of the annual fee which is $95. This would cost close to $1,300 with taxes and fees if you were to buy 50,000 miles on the American Airlines website. Sweet!

The Barclaycard Arrival Plus is the best fixed-value travel card since it offers a 5% point rebate on all redemptions. The sign-up offer is currently 10,000 points higher than the usual offer so it’s a good time to get this card. The points are worth at least $500 (more because of the rebate). Also, this card is churnable so you might as well grab it again if you’ve had it in the past!

Earn an additional 25,000 miles after spending $10,000 total in the first year

Earn another 25,000 miles after spending $20,000 total in the first year

$95 annual fee

If you’re a fan of collecting Avios, this new offer from British Airways is for you. You now have the opportunity to earn up to 100,000 Avios over the course the year. If you really want to go big with British Airways, you can earn a Travel Together Ticket after spending $30,000 in a year. This offer isn’t for everyone but it’s certainly worth mentioning.

Above offers available as of 7/16/17. Click here for the most up-to-date offers.